Municipality · Trøndelag
About Trondheim
Nidaros Cathedral, the wooden wharves and lanes of Bakklandet by the Old Town Bridge, and a summer boat to the island fortress of Munkholmen.
Trondheim grew up as Nidaros, one of the early kings' main seats, and became the home of Norway's archbishop in the 1150s. After almost the whole town burned in 1681, the centre was laid out again with wide, straight streets and solid defences. West of town, the Bymarka forest starts where the tram line ends.
Most road trips through central Norway pass here, so give it a day or two: walk the centre, ride the tram up to the forest, or follow Ladestien along the fjord.
Good to know
- Getting there: The E6 from Oslo and the north meets the E39 coast road here. About 7 h 30 from Oslo; Værnes airport is about 35 minutes away.
- Season: The Munkholmen boats run in summer only, and the Kristiansten museum opens in summer; Bymarka has ski trails in winter.
- Sleeping: Small independent places in the centre, such as Pensjonat Jarlen and Nidaros Pilegrimsgård, and Flakk Camping by the fjord (May–August).
- Food: Homemade Norwegian food and cakes at Baklandet Skydsstation, a small old wooden house by the Old Town Bridge.
What to do and where to stay in Trondheim
Places to stay are run locally, with no hotel or campsite chain behind them.
1Nidaros Cathedral and the tower walkHistory & culture
A pilgrim goal for almost 1,000 years; a 30-minute guided tower walk climbs 172 steps to the central tower, at extra cost on top of entry.
Bispegata, city centre · 1–2 h · all year (tower walks in summer season)
2Old Town Bridge and BakklandetHistory & culture
The red-portalled bridge, rebuilt in 1861 and nicknamed Lykkens portal after a waltz, leads from Kjøpmannsgata into the wooden lanes of Bakklandet.
Nidelva, east of the city centre · 30–60 min stroll · all year
3MunkholmenSight
A fjord islet that has been an execution site, monastery, prison, fortress and WWII gun station; boats from Ravnkloa run in summer only, next from May 2027.
Trondheimsfjord, boat from Ravnkloa (Munkegata 70) · 2–3 h incl. boat · Summer only; closed for winter, reopens May 2027
4Gråkallen in BymarkaHike
The 552 m top of Trondheim's city forest, crowned by a military radar, with wide views; start from the Gråkallbanen tram terminus at Lian or from Skistua.
Bymarka, about 8 km west of the centre · 2–4 h return · all year (ski trails in winter)
5Sverresborg Trøndelag Folk MuseumHistory & culture
An open-air museum built around King Sverre's castle ruins, with an old-town quarter, rural farms and old churches, and English guided tours in summer.
Sverresborg, west of the centre · 2–3 h · all year; full summer programme 1 Jul–16 Aug 2026
6Ringve Music MuseumHistory & culture
A museum at Lade with over 2,000 instruments from around the world, where guides demonstrate them on tours, set inside Ringve Botanical Garden.
Lade allé 60, Lade · 1.5–2 h · all year
7Ladestien coastal pathHike
A 14 km shore path around the Lade peninsula from Korsvika, 1 km east of the centre, passing swimming beaches such as Ringvebukta and Djupvika.
Lade peninsula, from Korsvika east towards Charlottenlund · 1–4 h (walk any section) · all year (swimming in summer)
8Leirfossene on the NidelvaNature
Two waterfalls, Øvre and Nedre Leirfoss, on the Nidelva on the city's southern edge, reached on the Nidelvstien riverside path from Tempe.
Nidelva, south of Sluppen · 1–2 h walk · best in spring flood (May–June); all year
9Kristiansten FortressHistory & culture
A fortress built 1682–85 on the hill east of the centre to guard the city; it held off a Swedish siege in 1718, and its Donjon tower is now a museum.
Kristiansten hill, above Bakklandet · 30–60 min · grounds all year; museum in summer
10RockheimHistory & culture
Norway's national museum of popular music, on the harbour at Brattørkaia, open all year and an easy rainy-day stop next to the railway station.
Brattørkaia 14, harbour · 1.5–2 h · all year
Book something local
paddling
Classic kayak trip down the Nidelva ↗
A two-hour guided paddle from Tempe down the Nidelva past the wharves of the centre and through the canal to Solsiden.
Trondheim Kajakk · Start Tempe idrettsanlegg, Tempevegen 13
guided hike
The Bymarka Escape hiking tour ↗
A guided three-hour, 10 km walk from Skansen up to Våttakammen and Gjeitfjellet in Bymarka, the forest and hills on the city's western edge.
Trondheim Kajakk · Bymarka, Trondheim